(Closed) To RSVP online or NOT ??? ……..help me bees.

I have been working on our wedding website. And there is one option that I would really love to do. And that is to give our guests the option to RSVP online. My Fiance is againts it, but knowing how people are with returning the RSVP cards back, Im thinking that if we put the option of doing it online that might bring in RSVP’s faster.

Before I try to convince my Fiance that we should give our guests that option, I want to make sure it IS a good idea. Would you give your guests that option?

We were going to do it but then realized we’d have to be double checking rsvp’s agianst the computer and ones returned by mail. I didn’t want to do online only because there still are a lot of people who don’t use computers, so we’re just doing regular RSVP’s.

I’m really curious to hear from people who did it all online. That’s my plan, but I’m a little worried that some of my non-internet-saavy relatives won’t understand how to do it… did anyone who did online-only have good response rates, or end up tracking lots of people down?

I am doing both options. I am putting stamps on my rsvp cards which are post cards, and also having the online option available. If people do both, fine it will only take minutes to cross reference the 2 lists.

I had both online and paper RSVP options. I only stamped the RSVP envelopes of older guests who I knew wouldn’t use a computer to respond. I got WAY more online RSVPs than paper ones! People who RSVPd online didn’t send in a paper RSVP and I used the online RSVP system through the knot to keep track of all my RSVPs. It was really easy to add in the paper guests responses to the online database. They even have an awesome seating chart that I used that automatically adds in your guests for you 🙂

One was online only RSVP (or maybe they only gave that option for the internet savvy, I have no idea!) and we literally RSVP’d within 20 minutes of opening the envelope.

The other wedding we went to was a pre-stamped postcard RSVP, and it worked equally as well, we dropped it in the mail a few days after getting it.

I don’t think I have a preference either way!! The online reply was super easy, but the postcard reply was fun b/c the bride and groom left the front blank for a quote, song request, or picture! Fiance and I had fun with it 🙂

Here’s something that has always worried me about online RSVPs: What about the flakey guest who RSVPs “yes” but then doesn’t come? Surely such a person is more likely to RSVP online in the moment, without really thinking it through, whereas they may not get around to going to all the effort of returning a paper RSVP. Does anyone have any evidence for or against my theory?

If it were’nt for that reason, I’d feel totally comfortable doing online only RSVPS, with perhaps a few paper ones for older people.

@VickyAurea: Oh my gosh. U basically nailed my one fear. I figure someone who really wants to go will mail the RSVP, because it does take work to mail it. But to do it online, it doesnt take work at all. Someone who RSVP’s right away without thinking first, will RSVP but in the end never really wanted to or thought it out. SO they RSVP but then they dont show.

I was the only one in “the crew” (my parents, my in laws, and DH) that fought for RSVP cards, and majority ruled. The online RSVP worked out brilliantly in the end – people frequently bash theknot.com for being not as user friendly as we would like (and sometimes it’s true), but I used them for our website and they had an RSVP function that I found useful! I’m for online now!

I like it when both are options, so that’s probably what we’ll do. If you keep track of RSVPs using a list of names instead of just a running tally, then I don’t think there should be any problem if people get confused and use both options.

We are planning on asking people to reply via mail or online, but only including RSVP cards in the mailings to people who do not really use a computer (his grandmother). We did a preliminary poll and it seems that most guests would actually prefer to receive their invitation and to RSVP online.

We are thinking about doing both. An online option and paper RSVP. My biggest fear is that people who RSVP online and see the # of guests option will assume they. An bring a +1, or think their children are invited or something. I don’t know if this is just a silly fear, but knowing my family some cousin will think they should bring a random friend without asking or just assuming its ok